Workshop PVA-Borax och polysackaridgeler med hög viskositet
Välkommen till en fördjupande och praktiskt orien-
terad workshop om användningen av PVA-Boraxoch polysackaridgeler vid rengöring av känsliga ytor.
Workshopen hålls på Skissernas Museum i Lund den 19-21 maj 2026.
Workshop
PVA-Borax & polysaccharide gels for cleaning sensitive surfaces
Welcome to an in-depth, hands-on workshop on the use of PVA-Borax and polysaccharide gels as a versatile tool for cleaning sensitive surfaces.
Location: Skissernas Museum, Lund
Date: 19–21 May 2026
Instructors: Andrea Del Bianco & Ilaria Saccani. Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
Language: English
About the workshop
Over the course of two and a half days, participants will be introduced to the main types of gels used in conservation, their chemical and physical properties, and how they can be modified to achieve different cleaning effects.
We will explore how gels can be tailored and combined for controlled cleaning, and how their viscoelasticity and performance can be adjusted through variations in concentration, additives and solvents.
The workshop combines theory with hands-on sessions where participants will prepare different gel types and test their properties. Through case studies, the methods will be demonstrated on a range of materials—from plaster and marble to paint layers, wood, paper, and modern materials.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own objects for practical testing. Discussion of ongoing projects and specific challenges is also encouraged.
Tickets
Early Bird
Early Bird tickets are available until 1 March.
Included in your ticket:
Two lunches (20 & 21 May) and a conference dinner (20 May).
VAT not included.
SEK 4550
€ 425
Regular Ticket
Regular tickets are available from 2 March until 8 May.
Included in your ticket:
Two lunches (20 & 21 May) and a conference dinner (20 May).
VAT not included.
SEK 5550
€ 518
Practical information
Binding registration
Your registration is binding, which means that by registering you commit to paying the participation fee. A confirmation email will be sent within 10 working days and will include payment details.
Payment must be made within 10 working days of receiving the confirmation; otherwise, your registration will be offered to someone on the waiting list.
Limited to 20 participants
The workshop runs over two and a half days. To ensure high-quality teaching and hands-on time, we offer only 20 places.
If you need to cancel, this is only possible if your place can be filled by someone on the waiting list. Any refund will be issued minus an administrative fee of SEK 1,050.
Lunch & dinner included
Your ticket includes two lunches and three afternoon coffee breaks (Swedish “fika”) at Skissernas Museum.
A conference dinner on 20 May is also included and will be held at Midi (Stora Tomegatan 39B).
Midi offers a warm, personal atmosphere and French countryside–inspired food, run by August and Jessica Bongibault-Lill.
Location
Skissernas Museum, Finngatan 2, Lund (19–21 May 2026).
The museum is part of Lund University and is a unique art museum focused on the creative artistic process. It houses the world’s largest collection of sketches, models, and preparatory works for Swedish and international public art.
How to get here
By train: Travel to Lund Central Station.
From Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup): There are frequent direct trains from the airport to Lund.
From Lund Central Station: the museum is about a 15-minute walk. Or you can take bus no. 7 to the stop Sölvegatan.
Where to stay
Hotel suggestions:
Hotel Lundia
Hotel Concordia
A 15% discount code will be sent to you together with your receipt and payment confirmation.
The program and content
High-viscosity PVA-Borax and polysaccharide gels: versatile tools for cleaning sensitive surfaces
The workshop begins with an overview of the main classes of gelling agents used in conservation. We will examine the chemical and physical properties of different gels and discuss the mechanisms that make them effective for tackling common cleaning challenges.
The instructors will demonstrate the preparation of high-viscosity PVA-Borax and polysaccharide gels, including variants and combinations. We will also explore how to fine-tune gel behaviour and performance by adjusting reagent concentrations and introducing modifications such as rigid gels, chelating agents, water-miscible organic solvents, and water-immiscible solvents (using emulsifiers).
A wide range of case studies will be presented, including treatments on plaster and marble, to compare cleaning outcomes achieved with agar and PVA-Borax gels on porous surfaces—and how combining these systems can help resolve more complex cases.
Further examples will cover the selective removal of certain film-forming materials from painted surfaces using PVA-Borax gels loaded with organic solvents, as well as the cleaning of coherent deposits on unvarnished and highly sensitive surfaces. Materials discussed may include impasto paints, lean oil paint, tempera, acrylics, plastics, contemporary wood, paper, parchment, and photographs.
Hands-on work is integrated throughout the course. Participants will prepare several PVA-Borax and polysaccharide gels, test how viscoelasticity can be controlled through concentration changes, and practise loading gels with organic solvents.
Finally, participants are invited to bring their own real cases for group discussion—together we will evaluate suitable treatment approaches and carry out cleaning tests.
Day 1
13:00-13:30
13:30-17:00
Fika break at 15:00 - 15:15
Day 2
09:00-11:30
11:30-12:45
Lunch break
12:45-17:00
solvents, chelating agents, and reducing agents.
Fika break 14:45 - 15:00
19:00
Day 3
09:30-11:30
11:30-12:45
Lunch break
12:45-17:00
Fika break 14:45 - 15:00
About our instructors
Andrea Del Bianco
Graduated in Industrial Chemistry in 1999 and obtained a degree in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage in 2005 from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, specialising in Methods for the Conservation and Restoration of Paper Materials.
In 2012, he obtained a master’s degree in Conservation and Restoration of Contemporary Materials at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence.
Since 2006, he has been working at the Laboratorio degli Angeli, a historic conservation studio in Bologna, where he carries out conservation treatments on works made with natural and
synthetic organic materials.
In 2012, he began teaching restoration courses at the Academies of Fine Arts.
Since 2022, he has been a tenured professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, where he teaches technical-scientific and restoration subjects and serves as coordinator of the restoration programme for wooden artefacts and paintings.
Since 2023, he has been a member of the scientific committee of the new journal CoRes – Conservation and Restoration.
Ilaria Saccani
Is a conservation scientist with a diploma as a Technician for the Restoration of Paintings on Canvas and Panel. Since 2006, she has been a project manager for CESMAR7, overseeing courses on the cleaning of polychrome surfaces (2006–2016).
Since 2016, she has been the President of the Association, focusing on research into materials for conservation, particularly those used for contemporary surfaces. She served as the CESMAR7 coordinator for the project CAPuS – Conservation of Art in Public Spaces (ERASMUS+, Knowledge Alliances 2018–2021) and for the project STORIE DI PLASTICA (PANN2_007380, MIUR 2021–2023).
She is an adjunct lecturer in Applied Chemistry for Conservation at the School of Restoration of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, in Elements of Chemistry for Conservation at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna, in Elements of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Verona, and in Industrial.
Register for the workshop
Location:
Skissernas Museum, Finngatan 2, Lund
Date:
19–21 May 2026
Tickets:
Early Bird ends 1st of March - 4550SEK.
Regular ticket ends 8th of May - 5550 SEK.
VAT not included.
Included in your ticket: Two lunches (20 & 21 May) and a conference dinner (20 May).
If you have any questions or need more information? Feel free to contact us
